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US 7,066,415 B2Granted
Touch pad control information system for a food waste disposer
AssigneeEmerson Electric Co.
InventorWilliam F Strutz
Life of this patent
Estimating the term…
Abstract
A touch pad control information system for a food waste disposer is disclosed. The touch pad is mountable to a wall or countertop near the food waste disposer. The touch pad preferably includes switches which allow the user to select from a plurality of disposer functions, and light emitting diodes (LEDs) or other graphic display to indicate one of a plurality of statuses for the disposer. The touch pad is coupled to the disposer by a wire bus or by wireless means.
Claims23
A system, comprising:
- a food waste disposer having a motor with a plurality of energizable windings;
- an AC voltage input connectable to a source of AC voltage;
- a controller connected to the food waste disposer and the control panel, the controller including
- a signal processing circuit;
- a DC voltage generation circuit connected to the AC voltage input for converting received AC voltage to DC voltage;
- a dual voltage regulator connected to an output of the DC voltage generation circuit to regulate the DC voltage a voltage high enough to energize the windings of the motor, and to a voltage high enough to power the signal processing circuit
- a switching circuit connected to outputs of the signal processing circuit to control energization of the windings;
- and
- a control panel in communication with the disposer for allowing a user of the disposer to choose from a plurality of functions that the disposer can perform, the control panel including a first status indicator connected to an output of the signal processing circuit, wherein the signal processing circuit activates the first status indicator in response to current sensed at the switching circuit exceeding a predetermined level.
6 more elements
Dependencies are inferred from the claim text.